The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf
by falachen
Summary: NOTE: Read Deadly Choice first if you haven't already! Will was badly injured in his fight with the Kalkara. Now he must make a choice, one that he dreads. His mentor and friends tell him that he can no longer be what he wants to be. Will he be able to find a new life or will he begin a new fight- one that he knows is against all odds.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! I'm back for the sequel to Deadly Choice. Therefore, if anyone is new to this story, please read Deadly Choice first. You will be lost without it.**

 **I was bored before class so I wrote this. However, I won't be able to work on it for a while after this. Sorry! Thought some of you might like a little preview of what was to come.**

 **Note: I don't own any characters from Ranger's Apprentice!**

 **Without further delay: The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf!**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 1

It was midday at Castle Redmont. Servants were bustling around, trying to get everything prepared. The knights and apprentices were hard at work practicing their skills. The Scribes were locked in a heated debate over some form of protocol. Alyss was busy sorting through paperwork delivered for her mentor, Lady Pauline, who was in a meeting with the Baron and Sir Rodney. Gilan was long gone, heading for his own fief. Halt had also left the infirmary, going to do his own job.

It was a busy day, a happy day. The people of Redmont were going to be celebrating one of the most heroic acts any of them had heard of. The Baron was pulling out all the stops: a large banquet, a holiday, asking and paying for a carnival to come in, and a huge ceremony. Thus, Redmont was busy, trying to get work done so that they could enjoy the day to come.

Well…everyone but one.

With everyone bustling around, no one was paying attention to the infirmary. The door opened slightly then slowly further as the person behind saw no one was paying attention. Finally, a small figure slipped out. The boy's unruly brown hair was brushed as neat as he could get it. He was in brown trousers and a lighter brown shirt. His boots were made of soft leather, ideal for the purpose he had in mind. His brown eyes, normally so filled with happiness and humor, darted around as he closed the door softly behind him. Then, with great care, he slipped into the shadows.

He crept forward, using every skill he had ever been taught. His jaw was locked in a grimace, caused by the pain emanating from his right leg. The truth had been spoken; no matter how much he exercised it, walked on it, and moved it, the leg refused to get stronger. Now he leaned against wall, struggling to keep his movements soft, flowing with shadows. Soon he came to a place where the wall was chipped with a blunt blade. A half smile touches his face, spreading across the left side of his face. He made it this far last time and now he was about to go farther.

Coming to hallway, one leading towards the servant quarters, the boy stopped, peering around the corner. No one. Taking a deep breath, he dashed across the open space and paused again. No sound, no alarm. Good. He started off again, moving carefully. Suddenly he stopped and grabbed his left side. The pain was immense but he had to fight through it. He had to prove that these injuries were not going to stop. Opening his brown eyes, so filled with determination, the boy moved onward. Inside was easy. Outside things would a little more difficult…

"Will!" shouted a booming voice.

Instantly the boy froze, trying to hide in the shadows. However, Will knew it was too late. Out came the cutting knife he stole from his dishes. It silently carved into the wall, marking a new line. He half smiled grimly. He was so close to getting outside, so close to escaping the infirmary. Then powerful hand seized his shoulder and gently turned him around.

 _I'm not ready to fall apart, idiot!_ Will shouted mentally.

There, standing slightly behind him, was an old friend. The boy frowned at him, obviously worried. Beyond him were the other three, one boy and two girls. Will shrugged away the boy's hand away. Why did they have to stop him? When will they see that he needed to escape? When would they just let him be!?

"Will," the larger boy said gently.

Will glared hard at him, "I know, I know. I'm not supposed to leave the infirmary."

With that, he brushed aside the taller boy and stalked back the way he had come. The taller girl, her blond hair shining in the light, stepped forward to intercept him. She gently touched his left shoulder, not wanting to cause any more pain. This act, however, only angered Will more. He yanked his arm away, ignoring the pain it caused in his shoulder. The girl stepped back, shocked and hurt by his reaction. The other girl, plump and pretty, had tears welling up in her eyes.

"Will, come on. You know we don't mean it like that," the taller boy said.

The other boy chipped in, "Pain and weakness is nothing to be ashamed of Will. As a matter of fact, weakness actually makes people stronger because they overcome it, live around it. Pain heightens our strength…"

Will rounded on him and snapped angrily, "Shut up, George!"

That started the smaller girl crying. George stopped, mouth open and eyes wide. The taller boy and girl both glared at Will. He did not care. He turned his back to them and walked off. _Pain and weakness are good, tsk_. All Will wanted was for them to see, to understand, that he was stronger than his injuries. Why could they not simply see that? Why could they not try and help him overcome his pain?

Tears welled up in his brown eyes. All he wanted, all he needed, was to back home. All he wanted was to forget the time with the Kalkara, as if it was a bad dream. He wanted to out in the woods, searching for tracks, asking questions, and learning the skills of a Ranger. He missed it, desired it more than anything. He wanted to go home…to Halt.

Will stopped as he rounded the corner, losing sight of friends. There he pressed against the wall and let his tears fall. What was he going to do? What would become of him? Without being a Ranger, he had nothing. The Craftmasters had made that clear to him on the Choosing Day. He was fit for only one thing: a Ranger. Without that, what was he?

Stopping the tears, Will brushed them from his face. As his right hand ran along the right side of his face, he left the deep scars that marked the last blow the Kalkara ever made. Now it was a part of him, freezing the right side of his face. Will could hear his friends talking, whispering to one another. He knew that his words and actions hurt but what did they know!? Sitting in the infirmary would do him no good, other than drive him crazy. And how did the Baron plan on thanking him? Coming down to the infirmary? Making him walk? Having him carried? Will snarled at the last thought. He was not useless and weak. He was a Ranger, no matter what. And tonight, he would prove it…

 **If anyone doesn't like how Will is acting, sorry! I needed him to be desperate, and desperation often leads to unwarranted anger.**

 **I will try to work on this some more when I have time but for now, off to school work.**


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice!**

 **Hey everyone! Wrote this while taking a break from schoolwork. Enjoy!**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 2

Redmont Castle was settling down. The day after tomorrow they would have a holiday. The sentries began to take up their places. It would be a long night for them. The servants bedded down in their quarters or went home to their families. Soon everything was dark except for the Baron's office. He still had a few things to do before he could head for bed. None of it was overly important but, like the others, he wanted it done before the ceremony day.

Will lay in his bed, eyes closed. However, he far from asleep. His ears listened as the nurses went around their final circuits. One opened his door, came to side, and checked him overly gently. Anger seethed inside Will. He knew that the nurse was not trying to hurt him, rather than not trying to wake him up. She mumbled something to herself then left. A few minutes later, everything was quiet.

Will's eyes opened and he sat up, twisting his body so that he did not hurt his side. His feet softly touched the polished wood floors. Silently he moved, getting on his clothes. He had practiced this many times, both day and night. Now, however, it was not practice. Slipping over to his door, Will picked up his boots. He would not need them until he was outside the infirmary. He looked out his door in all directions, even up. Seeing none, he slipped out and headed for the main door.

Once outside, Will darted into the shadows and pulled on his boots. Then, with great care, he slipped through the shadows. He knew his path all too well by this point. Will moved easily with the shadows, every sense attuned to the highest degree. He was a Ranger apprentice, no matter what they said. Biting his lip, Will peered around the hall to the servant quarters, just as he had done earlier that day. Seeing no one, he darted across to the shadows beyond. Again, no alarm was raised. Nodding to himself, he moved onward.

Soon he felt the fresh mark that he had made. However, this time there was no one to stop him from moving onward. He ghosted forward, ignoring the pain that starting to form from his leg. If he was to impress Halt, he had to ignore and forget his pain. He never knew how long he would have to creep in order to do his job. Stopping, Will eyed his new predicament.

His hall now met with the main one, leading to ceremonial hall. Will knew that it was decorated and finished, ready for the upcoming day. He formed that half smile again. He did not want thanks, or gratitude, or praise. All he wanted was his bronze oakleaf. Not even Halt was going to stand in his way. His eyes darted around, finding the different hiding spots he would need. Carefully he slipped into the first, then the second, then the third.

"I'm not sure about it," came a deep voice.

Will froze, his heart in his throat. That had been Baron Arald's voice! Turning his head, Will spotted the man striding down the hall. Sir Rodney walked beside him. Will's heart relaxed a little. They had not spotted him…yet.

Rodney nodded carefully, "It would be a shame, my lord. After all, I've seen how he has been acting. The decision didn't go very well with him."

"He will have to understand at some point," Arald sighed. "Poor Will. I can't even imagine what it is like to lose the one thing you want the most."

Will felt his muscles tightening. They knew nothing! Obviously they were agreeing with the doctors and Halt. Why was everyone trying to stop him? Did not anyone want to see him overcome the odds!? Will eyed them as they approached. Hopefully they would not spot him.

They did not. Will remained completely still as they walked away. That half smile appeared on his lips. They were exiting the building by the same door he needed. Will silently moved forward, seeming to hop from one shadow to the next. The two knights never even looked back, never even suspected that he was there. After all, they thought he was sound asleep in the infirmary. Reaching the door, the two men walked out. Will darted forward, stopping the door from closing then slipping out. Had the two knights not been talking, they would have heard the delayed closing of the door. However, they moved on, too deep in their conversation.

Will moved through the shadows. The guards were trying to stop people from entering, not leaving. Silently Will slipped behind them. As he past the stables, Will picked up a coil of rope. He going to need in. He soon spotted a canvas and a blanket. Drawing near, Will saw that these were leftovers of an old camping kit. Wrapping the stuff together, Will headed for the wall. It might just come in handy.

Reaching the top, Will paused uncertain. Torches were lit at intervals, making it difficult for any shadows to appear. Will knew that if one torch went out, a guard would sound the alarm. Making a decision, Will stood erect, grabbed an extra spear, and started walking. Hopefully no one would recognize his small form. Hopefully no one would realize the sudden "extra" guard. Luckily, no one did. The torch light distorted Will's small form to any eyes that were watching him. Seeing and recognizing the spear, most dismissed him from their thoughts.

Soon Will reached an area where the shadows ruled. He knew why. Down below was a small strip of land between the wall and the moat. He knew that this strip was only there to keep the moat from destroying the wall. Beyond that, it was thin, weak, and slippery. Taking a deep breathe, Will hurled the rope over the edge, tying the top to his spear shaft then setting the shaft between two stones. Certain that it hold his weight, Will began his descent.

Soon he reached the end of his rope. However, Will was still a good twenty feet from the ground. Silently cursing himself, Will began to search the wall. Hopefully his leg would hold long enough for him to climb down. Finding some hand and footholds, Will released the rope and climbed down. It was slow and hard. Will clenched his jaw tightly shut as his leg and shoulder began to scream in pain. However, he kept going. He was so close to being free from the infirmary, from people telling him that he could not become a Ranger. Soon he would prove them all wrong.

His left foot finally touched solid ground. With a weak sigh, Will set his right leg down. Uncontrollable muscle spasms began to come from his leg. Will ignored it however. He was used to having this happen when he pushed his leg too hard and did not listen to the pain. His shoulder throbbed painfully as well. This, however, he could fix. With his left hand holding the wall for support, Will's right hand began to rub his shoulder gently. Slowly but surely the pain ebbed away. Tomorrow would be a different story.

Putting his back to the wall, Will surveyed the moat. Now he had to get across this. The moon, at that moment, tore itself away from the clouds. Will would have shouted for joy if he was not trying to be quiet. Faintly seeable beneath the surface of the water was a path of rocks. When the moat swelled, this path would be unusable. Now, however, the moat had decreased enough to where Will to use it. Grabbing the canvas and blanket, Will began to hop from one rock to another. The moon had partly gone behind the clouds again. It gave enough light for Will to see his path but not enough for the guards to see him. Soon Will leaped onto the far shore. Smiling, Will dashed into the forest.

A few minutes later, the alarm went up. The late night nurse had found Will's bed empty and he was not in the privy. The guards were now going crazy, trying to find the wounded boy. However, by the time they found the spear and rope, Will was long gone. The hope of finding him was only one who trained him…

Halt.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice!**

 **Sorry, time constraints meant that this chapter had to be short. Hope you enjoy it despite this!**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 3

Halt paced back and forth in the Baron's office. What was Will thinking? Why did he leave the way he did? Could he not understand that he had to stay put for his own good? Also, the Baron was supposed to be thanking him tomorrow! Why choose to run off now of all times!?

"Halt, you need calm down," said the gentle but firm voice of Lady Pauline.

Halt looked at the tall, elegant woman. Though he would never admit it, he harbored feelings for the beautiful Courier. She smiled gently at him, letting him know that she understood how he was feeling and why. Pauline was well trained in the art of reading people. Not even grim Halt could hide everything from her. He nodded at her smile, unable to return it. Will was still too heavily on his mind.

The door opened, revealing Sir Rodney. Behind him came two others. One was tall and broad shouldered like his mentor, a future knight of the kingdom. His brown hair was ruffled and his blue eyes were filled with exhaustion. He, like many others, had spent the night running around like mad trying to find Will. Gently Rodney pushed Horace into a chair, telling him to rest. Halt, however, could see that Horace was poised for quick action, as if telling him where Will was would send him running. The second person was clothed in a green, gray, brown mottled cloak identical to Halt's. Pushing back the cowl, he revealed his sandy red hair and hazel eyes. Normally mischief and humor glowed in his eyes but today only worry could be seen. He had arrived early that morning at Halt's cabin, only to find a letter telling him to come to the Baron's office. From eavesdropping as he came in, he had discovered that Will had run off during the night.

Halt nodded to Horace then extended his hand to his Corps Commandant, "Thank you for coming, Crowley."

Crowley forced a smile and shook hands, "I understand, Halt. I just hope we can find Will before something happens to him."

With that, everyone in the room (Arald, Rodney, Pauline, Halt, Crowley, Horace, and Alyss) gathered around the Baron's large desk. There he rolled out a map of the surrounding area that Alyss had fetched for him. Halt and Crowley began listening to the details of Will's escape, also that he had tried to do so numerous times before. The two of them had to decide where Will would have gone, considering they were planning on finding him.

* * *

"I want to know how he got across the moat without a boat and without swimming!" Halt snapped angrily.

Crowley took a single sidestep away from his friend. They were outside the Castle, studying the tracks that Will had left in the grass. The more they looked into how Will escaped, the more Halt was becoming angry. _I trained him too well_ , he thought bitterly. Despite his anger, Halt was also proud of how Will managed to escape. During the meeting, Pauline had suggested that Will might be trying to prove to himself, and others, that he could still be a Ranger. Halt was starting to believe her.

A young voice piped up, "Look at this!"

Both men turned back to the moat. There they found Horace standing on water! The young boy smiled at their expressions. Seeing the smile, both men began to glare at him. Horace decided to explain what he found before either one killed him.

Signaling to the water, he explained, "There are rocks under the water. They form a path from where Will descended on the wall to where you are now."

Crowley nodded, biting his lip, "The moat water level is lower than normal. Obviously Will found the rocks and hopped across them."

Halt simply nodded but said nothing. Turning, he began walking towards the woods. One mystery solved, now they had to find his missing former apprentice. Horace jumped back onto the bank and raced after Crowley. Abelard, Cropper, a battle horse named Kicker, and Tug were standing at the edge of woods. Tug snorted worriedly as they approached. Halt knew that Tug could smell Will and wanted to know if his master was alright. After all, Tug had not seen Will since they brought Will to the infirmary.

"Easy boy," Halt soothed the little horse.

Then, with the horses following, the three men began tracking. Halt kept his eyes constantly rooted to the ground, looking for Will's tracks. Crowley kept his eyes scanning the woods around them, hoping to catch Will moving if he was out there. Horace simply followed with the horses, leaving the Rangers to do the work. He was there as backup in case something happened.

Which always is the case…

* * *

Horace saw the Rangers stiffen long before the men appeared. They came with spears, clubs, short swords, and daggers. Two even had crossbows. A quick count made Horace's heart sink into his stomach. About twenty-five men surrounded them, all smiling happily. After all, it was not every day that you were able to sneak up on and surround a Ranger, let alone two! The Ranger horses let out loud rumbles, almost as if they were growling.

A tall man with a thick, black beard and dark brown eyes stepped forward. Horace just managed not to wrinkle his nose at the man's smell. "Greetings, Rangers. What a pleasure it is for you to join us today."

His men laughed at their leader's sally. The Rangers remained still, eyeing their opponents. Horace touched his sword at his hip. When the fight started, it would start fast. His eyes roamed over the men. He knew that none could fight his sword alone but they were not alone. He swallowed nervously. Should someone sound the alarm whistle?

Movement!

Horace's eyes darted back to area. Out of the corner of his right eye he had seen movement in the bushes. A second later he spotted another. It was branch swinging back into place. However, Horace heard nothing.

 _Will, if you're out there, please help us!_


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice**

 **And I'm procrastinating! No one tell my parents! :/**

 **AlexaMarrrinDaughterofPoseidon, you have spent too much time reading my stuff! Your prediction came quite close.**

 **Read and enjoy everyone!**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 4

Will moved forward, his hands brushing aside branches and other obstacles. His feet moved carefully, avoiding sticks and fallen leaves. His eyes, however, never left the men that had surrounded Halt. He could also see Horace standing with the horses. The second cloaked figure was new to Will. He was smaller and stockier like Halt so it could not be Gilan. Frowning, Will continued onward. He would know soon enough.

Finding a decent tree, Will stood to his full height. Out of a pocket and into his right hand came a large rock. One side was heavier than the other but Will knew how to deal with that. His left hand pulled out a second one, keeping it there as back-up. At this moment, Will really wished he had his Ranger knives. They would be so much more useful. He shrugged mentally. Sometimes you just had to make due.

The gang leader was talking again, "And since you were so nice to join us, why don't we have a little chat?"

The cloaked figure next to Halt hissed, "Why don't you just spit out what you want to say?"

Laughter filled the air. The men found the cloaked figure's response a little too humorous. Will frowned. Why don't the Rangers just attack with their bows? Surely they could shoot down the crossbows then turn on the others as they charged in. Horace was ready behind them. Could he not hold them at bay long enough? What about the horses? Each was trained to help their rider in times like this. Forcing the thoughts away, Will focused on his targets. At least he had a little to contribute to this fight.

After all, the last person to threaten Halt in front of Will got crushed to death.

"If you want to be friendly, lower your weapons," Halt said in a very low voice.

Will smiled to himself. He knew all too well that when Halt spoke like that, you ran and ran far. The men standing around him, however, did not get the memo. They chuckled, laughed, and sneered at the older man. Horace was looking around. With a start, Will realized that Horace was looking for him! The young boy had an expression of terror. Will, however, knew that it was more of a cry for help.

 _I'll be right there, Horace._

Will's smile grew and became far darker. His right arm began to flex. Two crossbows, two shots. The leader was making another funny statement about the Rangers predicament. That was not really helping their case with the Rangers, nor with the young man in the trees. Will's eyes locked on him for a few moments, deathly cold.

 _You'll pay for those insults!_

One rock was away. The second bounced into his right hand and was away almost three seconds later. The two crossbowmen cried out as their weapons were yanked from their grasp. Everyone's attention turned to them. They stood there, mouths open and hands wide. What had just happened? What had taken their weapons away from them?

The leader snarled angrily at them and shouted at the top of his lungs, "What's the big idea, you idiots!?"

One of them looked at his leader and said softly, "Something heavy knocked our weapons away."

The second piped up in a whining voice, "Yeah, it was really heavy and came out of nowhere!"

The leader bellowed, "WELL ITS GONE! PICK UP YOUR WEAPONS, YOU IDIOTS!"

Flinching, the two men bent down to pick up the crossbows. Each had a huge dent in it and one had an arm bent out of shape. These men did not know that such a twist in the arm destroyed the shooting process. After all, the string was no longer tight enough to launch the bolt. The first crossbowman picked up his now broken weapon and looked at his leader. The second was still scooping his up, eyeing his leader closely. Suddenly his eyes widened.

"Boss…" he began.

The leader rounded on him, "What!"

"Behind…" the man got no further.

Will slammed into the leader, sending him toppling sideways. Both hit the ground and started rolling. Will just managed to see the other three leaping at opponents before bushes swallowed him. Turns out, he had pushed the leader onto the steep incline. The two now started rolling down towards the bottom. Pain shot from Will's side as he hit a tree stump. His right leg got yanked out of position by a bush, causing more pain. Will shut his eyes in order to fight the pain. Opening them, he reached out and grabbed two bushes, one on either side of him. With a jolt, he stopped. The leader, however, kept going. The man, not the brightest in the world, had tried to stand up in order to stop himself. That only led to him rolling faster. Finally he reached the bottom and slammed painfully into a rock.

Will slowly guided himself downward towards the leader. A few feet from the bottom, Will stood up and jumped. He landed on his feet just as the leader looked up. Anger, fury, hate filled those dark brown eyes. Will shivered inwardly. He had seen those same emotions on the face of Kalkara before their final clash. Outwardly, however, he remained calm and composed. Rising, the man drew a dagger from his belt. He smiled when he saw that Will was unarmed.

"What were you thinking, boy? You should have stayed out of this and minded your own business," the leader spat.

Will eyed him coldly and responded in a low, deadly hiss, "It was my business."

The man stepped towards Will's right side, which Will kept hidden from him. His smile only grew as he saw the three deep scars on Will's face. Now he understood his opponent. Who in Redmont had not heard of Will's great sacrifice for his mentor and Baron? Throwing back his head, the man laughed. Slowly his left hand clapped against the hilt of his dagger. This fight was going to be easy…

"Young Will, is it?" he asked through his laughter. "You should learn to pick your fights more carefully. After all, I'm healthy and I have the dagger."

Will smiled, a cold smile that never reached his eyes, "You have the dagger, but do you know how to use it?"

With that, Will lunged forward. Taken off guard, the leader stumbled backward. Will's right fist slammed into the man's chin. Because his weight was on his left leg, Will managed to slide past the man's dagger. The man hit the ground and rolled away, expecting another attack. However, Will found himself off balance. His right leg would not hold his weight yet he needed it to catch himself.

That's where Will proved his quick thinking. While bored in the infirmary, Will had been designing tactics to get him out of such situations that he was now in. As his fist connected with the man's jaw, his right leg came up and close to his left. As the man fell away, Will spun on the toes of his left foot. In doing so, he gave himself time to pull his weight back into equilibrium. As he completed his spin, coming to face his opponent once again, Will set his right leg down.

The man rose, a snarl on his face. He was furious, to say the least. Will stood firm. This time the other man had to make a move. The leader leaped forward, pulling back his right arm in a stabbing blow. Will jumped backward, his left hand seizing the man's right wrist. As the man landed, Will's right fist slammed into his stomach, driving the breath from his lungs. Then Will twisted the man's wrist, causing immense pain. The man screamed and dropped the dagger. Instantly Will's right foot kicked it into the bushes.

However, the man had seen Will's spinning move. He remembered hearing that Will had gotten injured in his right leg. An evil smile spread across his face. He pushed Will backwards, sending the young man off balance. As Will's right leg came down the man kicked. Will screamed as his pain shot up his right leg. It was all-encompassing pain filling Will from foot to head. His leg gave out, sending him into the ground. Will gasp, opening his eyes. Spots flashed in front of them.

"Good fight, _boy_. However, I still won. You really need to learn how to pick fights," the leader sneered, leaning over Will.

Will looked at him, the spots going away. He smiled, "And you need to learn to never lean over an enemy."

Pulling his weight onto his shoulders, Will picked up his feet. His left foot lashed out, connecting with the man's nose. Cartilage broke and blood came instantly. The man jerked back, grabbing his nose. Blood raced down his face like a flood. Will twisted on the ground, his right leg hooking with the man's left. Though the pain Will was in was immense, it also blinded him to everything else. Therefore, he was able to use his numb leg to pull the other man off his feet. The leader hit the ground with a hard _thump_. Instantly Will leaped on top of him, using his weight to hold the man down.

The man twisted under him. However, only one hand was trying to push up his and Will's weight. The other still held his nose, which was suitably flattened thanks to Will's boot. Will breathed deeply. The pain was sending his muscles into spasms. Will shut his eyes and tried to focus on riding out the pain.

"Will!" shouted a familiar, deep voice.

Will looked up. Sliding down the incline was Halt. His former mentor had worry written all over his face. He landed on the flat ground and raced over to his former apprentice. Will tried to rise but Halt was faster. He grabbed a handful of Will's shirt and heaved his apprentice to his feet. Feeling his leg about to give out, Will seized Halt's shoulder. Easily his mentor accepted his weight. He looked back up the incline and whistled. A whistle responded a few seconds later.

By the time Crowley reached the bottom Halt had already sat Will down against a tree, examined his leg, and then tied up the leader. Blood still poured down the leader's nose. He had put up a limited fight with Halt. However, the older Ranger had quickly put him into his place with a solid whack on the head. Crowley went over to Will and hauled the boy to his feet. Will did not complain. In truth, Will did not know if he could get back up the incline.

With a nod, Crowley began helping Will up the incline while Halt dragged his prisoner after him. Will pulled away from Crowley, despite Crowley's powerful hold on him. As soon he was released, Will began moving from tree to bush to tree. Quickly he began outdistancing the others. Crowley, seeing that Will would be fine, stopped to help Halt.

Reaching the top, Will was instantly seized in a bear hug by Horace. The knight apprentice was muttering incoherently. Will, however, caught enough to know that Horace was berating him for running off then getting into a full on fight. Will still had not managed to pull away from Horace by the time Halt and Crowley appeared.

Will finally had had enough, "Horace, let go! I'm perfectly fine!"

"No, you are far from 'perfectly fine'," Halt snapped angrily.

Will looked at his formed mentor. His mentor's gaze was dark and foreboding. If looks could kill then Halt's was the perfect example. Will suddenly felt that all his effort would have been for nothing. The other Ranger at least looked a little sympathetic. He stepped forward and pulled Horace away from Will. Horace, however, was not going to back off that easy.

"Crowley! We need to get Will back to Redmont!" the bigger boy exclaimed.

Crowley! The Ranger Commandant! Will eyed Crowley suspiciously. Having a second Ranger around was bad enough; having the Commandant around was most defiantly bad. Obviously he was around because Will was being removed from the Corps. Crowley caught Will's suspicious glare and smiled weakly at the boy. That only confirmed it for Will.

"Will, what were you thinking?" Halt snapped.

Will looked at his former mentor and stated bitterly, "I wanted out of infirmary."

"You could have gotten hurt!" Halt growled, not likely his former apprentice's attitude.

Will suddenly snapped. He turned on Halt and shouted angrily, "Why do you care? If I'm not going to heal then why should you care what happens to me? All I want is to be out of the infirmary, living my own life! I wanted to be alone!"

Halt stepped back, shocked by the sudden anger from his apprentice. Underneath all of it, Halt could sense the fear…the pain. Will glared at him, furious with his mentor. Of all people, Will hoped that Halt would see and understand. Now he understood that Halt did not see. Spinning around, Will dashed off. Halt and Horace called after him but Will ignored them. He was not going back to the infirmary, was not going back to listening to people tell him that he could not do anything. He was a Ranger apprentice who just wanted life to be back to normal. Why could anyone not see it!?

Will raced back to his camp, seized his blanket and canvas, and then sprinted off. For the first little bit Will did not care about anything. Then he slowed down and began covering his tracks. He wanted no one to follow him, no one to find him. However, by destroying his tracks, he only made his trail that much easier to follow.

* * *

Crowley's hand stopped Halt from following the running figure. Halt looked at his friend. Crowley's hazel eyes were filled with understanding. Gently he shook Halt. Halt raised an eyebrow, waiting for Crowley to speak.

"Give him time," Crowley said gently. "Will's hurting, inwardly as well as physically."

Halt shook his head, "Crowley, something could hurt him. He could hurt himself!"

"I know, Halt. That's why I will follow him. I'm not deep in this issue as you and Horace are. As an outsider, Will might be more willing to listen to me. After all, I need to explain the compromise to him," Crowley stated firmly.

With that, he mounted Cropper and started off. He moved slowly, giving the young boy time to himself. Halt and Horace, meanwhile, rounded up the prisoners and started heading back to Redmont. Halt glanced off in the direction Will had taken. Hopefully his former apprentice would be safe. Hopefully Crowley would be able to talk to him and explain things to him.

 _Be safe, Will. I don't want anything else to hurt you. I can't lose you…son._


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm getting tired of saying this- NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice!**

 **2** **nd** **Note: This chapter is long and almost sounds like an ending chapter but it's not! I've got a few more chapters after this. The reason it's so long is because it is several short scenes mashed together. After all, I'm sure you're going to want the answer to the question this chapter puts out there!**

 **Question to my** _ **loyal**_ **(I had to emphasize that word because it's soooooo true!) viewers: I have an idea to continue this on even further, following Will into the events of the Burning Bridge. Do you want me to work on it and post it? I'm more than willing to but I need to know if people care. If not then I'll end it with this section.**

 **Review and enjoy!**

* * *

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 5

Dawn was breaking the sky of a new day. Nestled among several rocks was a spread out canvas. Inside was a sleeping figure of a young boy. Sitting outside with his black horse was an older man. His massive longbow and mottled cloak marked him as a Ranger. He had found the boy during the night but decided to leave him alone until morning. Now, however, he waiting for his pot of water to boil. He could not begin the day, let alone this conversation, without his much desired coffee.

The boy stirred inside the tent. The man looked over at him. Despite his blanket and canvas, the boy had spent a cold, uncomfortable night. The man shrugged. The boy's fault for choosing a horrible place to sleep. Yet the man understood. The boy did not want people to find him. It was understandable considering what the boy was going through. Hopefully the Ranger would be able to fix everything today.

"Crowley?" came the startled yelp.

Crowley looked over at the boy, who was now sitting up, and raised an eyebrow. Will blinked away the sleep. Crowley's heart nearly leaped out of his chest as he saw how red the right side of Will's face was. It settled quickly as he realized that it was because Will had been sleeping on it, not because it was bleeding. However, Will was too busy trying untangle himself gently from his blanket to notice the worried expression.

Crowley, turning back to his pot of water, spoke, "Yes, it's me. You could've picked a better sleeping spot that was well hidden. Coffee?"

"Figured you would look for me in the woods," Will said. "And yes please, sir."

Crowley pulled out his extra mug and poured the boy a cup. Will took it and drank it eagerly. By this point, he missed coffee so much that he did not care that it did not have any honey. Crowley was well aware that the boy was watching him, waiting for him to speak. Crowley, however, had no intentions of starting the conversation. He leaned back against a rock and sighed as he took a sip of coffee.

Finally, after what seemed like ages to Will, Crowley began, "Will, I know that you hurting, in more ways than one. I'm not here to banish you from the Corps. Instead, I'm here to make a compromise."

"What sort of compromise?" Will asked slowly, not certain he wanted to continue. Curiosity, however, kept him listening.

Crowley reached into a pocket and pulled out an oakleaf. Will stared at it. It was exactly like Halt's and Gilan's except in color. In the morning sun, Will had a hard time with the color. He knew it was not bronze. What color was it?

Crowley, seeing the confusion, spoke up, "It's the first ever made, young Will. Bronze is the apprentice, silver is graduate and acting Ranger, and gold is the retired Ranger. This oakleaf, however, was made especially for you, Will. It's the gold-bronze oakleaf."

"Why both?" Will asked, his eyes becoming icy.

" _Better be careful with my next words,"_ Crowley thought. He responded, "Will, I know you want to be a Ranger, more than anything. However, your injuries are severe. Therefore, this oakleaf marks you as a Ranger but it shows that your greatest act of loyalty to your country and mentor was during your apprentice years, when you were injured."

"Will I be able to continue training?" Will asked, more certain now that he did not want to know the answer.

Crowley slowly shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Will. If you continue your training, who knows what will happen to you! You could worsen your injuries to the point that you wouldn't be able to use your leg or your arm."

"I'm not weak and useless!" Will snapped. "I don't want to live the rest of life thinking that I can't do anything!"

 _So that's it! You don't want to be off on the sidelines as the people you love are put in danger._

Crowley studied the boy before him carefully. Now he was beginning to understand. An idea was beginning to form. Maybe the boy was right. Maybe he could overcome his injuries. What better mentor could there be to help him through it other than the only Halt? Surely Halt could find a way. Crowley smiled inwardly. He had a way in which he could fix this, to solve the major question once and for all.

Crowley leaned forward and grabbed the boy's shoulders. Once Will looked at him, Crowley spoke, "Will, I have an idea but it relies solely in your decision. I know you want to prove that you can overcome your injuries. However, it may not be possible. At this point we don't know the answer to that question."

Will looked at him, waiting to hear more.

"Take the gold-bronze oakleaf," Crowley continued. "I'll have Halt continue training with you. In two months, if you have proven to Halt that you can overcome your injuries, then I'll test you. If you pass then I'll give you a bronze oakleaf."

Will's eyes went wide as he understood. Crowley was giving him a chance, a chance to show that his injuries were not going to stop. He hugged the older Ranger. Crowley smiled and patted the boy on the shoulder. _Guess that's a yes._ Crowley pushed the boy away and looked him in the eye.

"Guess we better get back and share the plan," Will said with a laugh. Crowley laughed too.

* * *

Will stood frozen to the spot. Halt stood at his side. Before them was the ceremony hall, all decorated and filled with people. The Baron, Sir Rodney, and Crowley stood at the far end. Will gulped and tried to step backwards. Halt, however, stopped him. Then he gently shoved his apprentice forward. Will made a small growling noise in his throat. Halt raised an eyebrow. He knew that it came from the fact that Will did not want to move, not because Halt was being gentle.

Halt leaned over and hissed, "Get going."

"Aren't you coming?" Will turned and asked him in a pleading tone.

Halt shook his head, "Not invited. Now get going."

He prodded Will forward a little bit then limped over to a chair. Will, seeing no other option, started forward. The people were all looking at him. Struggling not to blush, Will kept his head high. Several people muttered his name to each other. He heard a gasp as a woman on his right saw his scarred face. Jenny waved a colorful kerchief at him. Alyss smiled at her friend, who was always uninhibited. Turning back to Will, she smiled warmly and blew a kiss to him. Will almost turned a deep shade of red.

Reaching the Baron, Will went down onto his right knee. He knew that his left leg would have to push him back up. The Baron stepped forward and smiled at the small boy before him. He was happy to see that Will was safe and sound. Well, sound was stretching it a little. He reached down, giving Will a hand up. He winced as his wounds sent a shock of pain through him. How Will survived with his injuries boggled the Baron's mind

Once Will was on his feet Arald raised his voice, "Let all look on this boy and remember him. He gave everything to protect those he loved and respected. He has shown true courage, honor, and loyalty."

The room burst into applause. Cheering and whistling started up from the Battleschool students. Will was certain that Horace was the cause of it. Among the students, he could see Horace's grinning face. If Will was not trying to be respectful before the Baron he would have rolled his eyes at his friend. As it was, he could only smile. The Baron raised his hand for silence, again wincing at the pain from his back. He had to learn how Will did it.

The Baron continued to Will, "Will, there are no words I could ever express that would tell you how thankful I am for your courage. You did something that would have given Rodney and I pause. We will never forget it, Will. Thank you."

Rodney nodded to Will, acknowledging what the Baron said. Will smiled at the two of them. Now that he thought about it, he would have done it all again if he had the choice. He bowed to his Baron and the Battlemaster. Rising, he decided to say what was in his heart.

"It is I who should be thanking you, my lord. Without you, I wouldn't have ended up the in Ward. Without the Ward I wouldn't have become a Ranger apprentice. I would have it no other way," Will said calmly. His heart felt lighter for it.

* * *

Will sat on Halt's veranda with a mug of coffee. Around his neck was the gold-bronze oakleaf. The leaf itself, seen up close, was completely gold. The veins and edges of the oakleaf were coated in bronze. Will watched the sunset, content for the first time in a while. He could not imagine what life would be like if he had given in to the whispers of weakness.

Halt came outside and sat beside his apprentice. Will glanced at him without moving his head. He also seemed to be content with life. Will felt his heart pound in his chest. Would Halt be able to help him overcome his injuries? What was the extent of the damage? Would he fail before Halt or, worse, Crowley? Sighing, Will laid his head back against his chair and closed his eyes. He just wanted all of the uncertainty to be over. He just wanted to be a normal Ranger's apprentice. Could he ever have that wish come true?

Halt's voice cut into his thoughts, "You handled yourself well today."

"You think so?" Will asked. Before Halt could answer, he continued, "In truth, I was scared to death…and embarrassed."

Halt looked at his apprentice, "Embarrassed?"

"Embarrassed…because of my injuries."

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, certainly not from your injuries."

"Then…maybe it was from…I don't know…all the attention."

"Makes sense. None of us Rangers love being the center of attention."

Will opened his eyes and looked at his mentor. Halt had returned his gaze back to the setting sun. Nothing else mattered to Will other than this man's support and approval. Like a father, Halt had been training him, teaching him. Like a father, he had cared for Will. Sipping at his mug, Will let the silence move on. How could he ever ask Halt? He wanted to know what his mentor thought but where to begin the question?

Halt's annoyed voice made him jump, "Out with it."

"Sorry, Halt," Will sputtered. Thinking, he decided to try one phrasing of his question, "Do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?"

"Become a Ranger, despite my injuries."

Halt was silent for long time, thinking. Will knew better than to press his mentor. Halt would come out with his answer in time. He never gave answers of the top of his head. It was not Halt. Therefore, Will patiently waited for Halt to speak. The coffee provided a good way to keep his mouth shut. Halt glanced at him once, nodded, then returned his gaze to the sun.

With a sigh, Halt rose from his seat. Will looked up at him, the desire for an answer in his eyes. Halt looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Then he signaled his apprentice to follow. Instantly Will was on his feet and limping after Halt. _I have to fix this limp_ , Will thought annoyed. Halt gave a signal for Will to sit in a chair, which he did. Halt went into Will's room then returned with a bundle. At once Will recognized it as the same bundle that Halt had shown him the first time, the bundle that contained the Ranger weapons.

Halt brought out a recurve bow. However, this one was different than the last one. The wood was thicker and the bow longer. He handed the weapon to Will. To the boy's surprise, the bow was extremely light. A thought made him look at his mentor. Halt saw the question and signaled for him to try. Will rose and placed the bow on the ground. Tentatively Will stepped forward with his left. Then his right, the bow moving with it. A large smile came to Will's face. A light bow that was powerful enough to hold his weight as he walked.

Will placed his left leg back. Rolling his left shoulder, Will brought the bow into draw height. With practice, the movement would come to take no more than a few seconds. Instinctively he placed his first and second finger on the bowstring and pulled. Like his old recurve, the draw weight was less but the power was still there. Slowly he released the tension in the bow. He turned and smiled at Halt.

"How?" Will asked.

Halt raised an eyebrow, "I thought you might try to overcome the odds. So, Gilan and I made that bow for you."

Tears filled Will's eyes. Tears of joy, of happiness. He hugged his mentor, who was nearly knocked over. Unknown to Will, a small smile touched his mentor's features. Halt had hoped that Will would find a way to overcome the odds. Now, he was on that very path. Gently he pulled himself away from the small boy, his apprentice…his son.

"Well, we better make dinner. We have a busy two months ahead of us, starting tomorrow," Halt said gruffly.

Will smiled and bounded after his mentor into the kitchen. A busy two months indeed. He had training to catch up on. Also, he had his injuries to overcome…

And he planned on beating the odds!


	6. Chapter 6

**NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice.**

 **Looks like I've got interest in a third part. Therefore, I am working on flushing it out. It will changed the ending of this story a little bit to make room.**

 **Homework, the bane of my existence right now! Tried to get this done as quickly as possible (staying up really late to do so). Next chapter will be awhile. However, do know that I will be working on it whenever I can.**

 **Review and Enjoy!**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 6

The forest is quiet. Dusk is descending upon the land. No wind blows to rustle the leaves and bushes. Animals are scurrying everywhere, heading for bed. An owl is starting to wake, ready to hunt during the night. A pack of wolves howls off in the distance.

A silent figure moves forward. His movements are slow and steady. His hands pushed aside the bushes, leaving a path for him to follow. Gently his feet touched the ground before him, avoiding twigs and dried leaves. The owl hoots quietly. The figure freezes, trying not to disrupt the beginning night. His cowl shifts slightly as the head moves. Nothing represents danger. The figure moves on.

Not far away, is a campsite. The fire is burning bright, revealing seven men. Their horses are tied a few feet away. These beasts are tall and muscular, groomed until they shine. Laughter rings out as the men laugh at a joke. They do not know what is approaching. The figure slips past the sentry, who does not notice a thing. Staying low in the bushes, the figure watches the men. He has to pinpoint the leader, his target. However, the other men would cause trouble. He has to get rid of them. Quickly he makes plan.

Slipping around the campsite, the figure makes his way over the horses. They are the perfect distraction. One horse, a bay stallion, looks over at the figure. However, he remains silent. Gently the figure grabs the lead rein and pulls the horse's head close to his mouth. He whispers something, to which the horse flicks its ears. Then the figure slips over to the others. A thick recurve bow raises off the ground. With a quick flick, it swishes through the air only centimeters from the other horses' noses. They balk and rear, throwing their hooves high. Silently the figure vanishes into the shadows.

The men start shouting, racing to calm their steeds. A young boy grabs the bay horse's halter and quickly calms him. After all, the bay understood what was happening. That, however, alerted the boy. He spun around, his eyes searching the trees. He could not see the attacker until it was too late. A hand lashes out and cuffs him over the head softly. The boy ducks away and smiles. Game over.

He watches as the cloaked figure slips over towards the leader, a tall man with broad shoulders and a kind face. He was watching his men calm their steeds, not paying attention to what was around him. Then he noticed that the young boy was not moving. Why? His horse was calm so he should be helping to calm the others. Then a hand seized his arm, untying the red scarf wrapped around it. The knight smiled. Dead…

"Well done, Will," Sir Rodney praised the youth.

Crouched in the shadows beyond the campfire was the small figure. Smiling broadly, he stood to his full height. The powerful recurve bow bent slightly as it took most of his weight. The other knights were surprised, wondering where the boy sprang from. After all, none of them had seen him approach. Baron Arald put his hands of his hips and glared at them. Some protection. Horace grinned broadly, knowing that in a real situation both the Baron and he would be dead.

Will stepped forward and nodded to the Battlemaster, "Thanks, Sir Rodney."

Baron Arald turned an appraising eye on the youth before him. In one month, Will had already been proving himself to be a cunning Ranger's apprentice. With that new bow of his the boy could move without a limp and extremely silently. However, on marble and wood, the bow made a loud ruckus. Will blushed as he realized that Arald was looking closely at him. Seeing this, Arald smiled and laid a hand on Will's right shoulder. Then he nodded, giving the boy encouragement.

"The trick with the horses was clever," said a gruff voice.

Everyone but Will jumped. Halt, a wolfish grin on his face, stepped from the trees. Will turned to him and grinned. He knew that this was a test. Having Halt's praise was a good thing. It meant that he was overcoming his injuries. The knights gave Halt a hard look for sneaking up on them. Will was ok, mainly because it was helping him. Halt was different matter altogether. He did not need any testing. Will returned the scarf to Arald before joining Halt's side. With good nights exchanged, the two headed back to the cabin. All the way, Halt noticed that Will was doing his best to remain silent. _Always trying to get better, aren't you?_ Inwardly Halt smiled at Will's desperate effort to succeed where many believed he would fail.

He was doing alright, considering his injuries.

Reaching the cabin, Will bounded up the steps after his mentor. He unhooked his cloak and laid it over a chair. His bow stayed him. Will wanted to try and walk with it without making too much noise. Fact, however, made this task impossible. Also, it was always better to have it close in case his leg decided to give out suddenly. Halt simply draped his cloak over his chair then put a pot of water over the fire. Will fetched the coffee powder, ready to put the stuff in. Then he realized that they needed honey. He went to get it, only to find it out of his reach. Normally this was not an issue because he could just jump up and grab it. Now, however, such an action would end in disaster.

"Let me get," Halt said, coming to Will's side.

Will shook his head determinedly, "I want to get it."

"How?" Halt asked, raising an eyebrow at his apprentice.

Will frowned, thinking it through. That was a good question. How was he going to get it? It was beyond his simple reach. Jumping would cause damage to himself and the world around him. His leg would not accept his weight so that he could stand on his toes. Unconsciously he began fingering his bow. Then it hit him. Flipping the bow around, being careful not to hit Halt, he judged the angle. Certain of himself, Will reached up with it. The wood and string slipped around the honey jar easily. With a light tug, Will sent it falling off the shelf. His right hand caught it before it hit the counter and shattered. Turning to Halt, Will smiled, happy with his idea. Halt simply raised an eyebrow and moved back over to the pot. Will shrugged. The eyebrow was good enough for him.

Carefully Will lowered himself into his chair. The pillows were quite comfortable to lean against. Alyss had come to visit with Jenny a few weeks before. Seeing Will in the hard, wooden chair sent her snapping angrily at Halt. To Will's surprise, Halt had actually backed away from the angered young Courier. A few days later, she returned with several pillows for Will to keep in the chair. Now he thought that it had been a good idea. Will leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to ignore his throbbing side. At least he could relax until coffee was ready…

Then Halt kicked him in his good leg.

Will opened his eyes, not happy with the disruption. He was even more so when he saw what Halt held. The doctor had argued strongly against Crowley's idea. Finding himself on the losing side, the doctor had given Halt a jar of herbs designed to help Will with his pain. That most certainly did not mean that Will liked them. They tasted horrible, and smelled just as bad. He often tried to hide the jar from Halt just so that he did not have to eat the herbs.

But Halt was Halt…he always found the jar…and then made Will take a double dose of the foul stuff.

Will had entertained the idea of destroying the contents in the jar several times. However, if Halt gave him a double dose for hiding it, he did not want to think about what Halt would do if he went through with that idea. Not a pleasant thought. Will could some up his feelings for the medicine in one word: _**hate**_. Absolute hatred for the stuff. Halt had even tried to mix it in with Will's food a few times in the past. Will, however, discovered it after one bite. Unfortunately for Halt the herbs had a powerful taste that not even coffee could mask. He had tried several other types of ingredients but all failed…

Then Will got him back for it.

Sleeping in the tree was worth seeing Halt's face that moment. One night, Halt had given Will his food and set down his own. However, he had to get more water for a pot of coffee. He saw Will's disgusted face before he left and knew that Will could still taste the medicine. "Oh well" had been his thought process. He returned, put the pot of water on the stove, then sat down. Will picked at his food, slowly eating. Halt took one bite of his food, chewed once, then spit it out. A powerfully foul taste was left in his mouth.

"Will!" he had snapped as he saw the evil grin that touched his apprentice's face.

The only unfortunate side effect of that move had been Halt taking away his coffee privileges for the week. However, Halt knew better than to put the medicine in Will's food. So other methods had to be developed. Not that Will was any happier about it.

Halt pulled out the dried leaves. Will unwilling took them and put them in his mouth. He did not mind simply swallowing them. The taste was not there when he did that. However, the healing medicine was in the leaf's juice. The apprentice chewed them with his mentor standing over him. Halt knew better than to turn his back to the stubborn apprentice during this process. Will was told to chew the leaves for three minutes before swallowing. Once the time was up, Will swallowed. His tongue ran against his teeth, a futile attempt to rid himself of the taste. That's when Halt gave him his coffee.

Sitting down, Halt put his boots up on the table. Will sipped his coffee and let it sit in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Slowly it would rid him of the foul taste. After several minutes, Halt began lecturing Will on what he could have done better in that night's situation. Will paid extreme attention to his mentor. He wanted to get better, so that he could impress Crowley. One month down, one more to go.

Will looked at his mentor before going to bed, "Halt, do you think Crowley will be impressed?"

"Maybe," was Halt's answer.

Will gave his mentor a pained expression then pressed, "Depending on what? What more do I need to do?"

"Two questions, Will?" Halt asked in droning tone. Will blushed, mentally berating himself for giving Halt the opening. "Keep your head on straight and keep practicing. We will see when the time comes."

Will smiled at his mentor. Halt raised an eyebrow then shooed his apprentice towards his door. Obediently his apprentice headed to bed. He knew better than to press Halt when his mentor did not want to answer questions. As Will's eyes closed, he sighed. One more month until Crowley returned. One more month until he could test for his bronze oakleaf. One more month until he had his answer…

Could he become a full Ranger apprentice?

* * *

 **Hehe…I wanted to bring a little humor to the story. I was reading a story for one of my classes when my mind came up with the idea for Will to get back at Halt for putting medicine in his food. Isn't that what apprentices with death wishes do to annoy their teachers!? For Will and Gilan, of course!**

 **I will try and post the next chapter soon. Little hint: someone named Crowley shows up…**


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice.**

 **This chapter ended up being shorter than planned. I several tests to study for. Sorry if anyone is unhappy.**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 7

Will remained completely still. He could hear the wind in the leaves, the birds singing, the bugs buzzing around, and much more. These were the sounds of the forest. However, he heard them and ignored them. He needed something else, a sound that did not belong. Slowly his eyes searched the trees around him. Nothing but he was ready. His bow rested across his knees, an arrow at the ready. His cloak was completely wrapped around him. When he stood to shoot the cloak would fall away.

There!

A figure had moved past the trees on his right. Soon it would be time. Carefully he turned his head, resting his left cheek against the log. A hole gave him view of the area beyond. A small smile touched his lips. Another figure had just darted into hiding. The moment he appeared, the figure behind would be on him. The arrow left the bow. Time for plan B.

A rock bounced off the trees. The person in front of Will turned to shoot, just a second before the other. Two arrows slammed into the trunk of the same tree. Then one, a taller man, leaped back as an arrow slammed into a tree next to him. Then the sound of combat came to his ears. Racing in that direction, the man hoped nothing had gone wrong. Rounding a tree, he stopped and smiled.

Will was crouched there, holding Crowley down. He looked up at the taller man, a good friend, and let a big smile touch his lips. Gilan laughed. Crowley ruffled Will's head as the boy let him up. The Ranger Commandant had to admit, mentally of course, that Will had done a very well. Using the rock to force Gilan out of hiding then charging him. Now he watched as Gilan wrapped Will in a warm embrace. The boy just might have a chance…

Crowley had arrived two days before along with Gilan. The young Ranger had heard of Will's continued training and was worried about him. So he decided to tag along and give Crowley a hand with the testing. Will had surprised them both on the way up to Halt's cabin by ambushing them from a tree. When asked, Halt had informed them of Will's attempts to learn how to climb with his wounded leg. His quick mind had figured out a way within a week. The testing had begun the day before. Will was not to know it but he was doing better than any of them expected, even Halt.

Arriving back at the cabin, they found Halt sitting on the veranda. Crowley went to talk to him while Gilan went to test Will's shooting ability. This was what worried Gilan the most, considering Will's shoulder. He had no idea how well Will had aimed at the tree earlier. He was about to find out. Meanwhile, Crowley was going to talk to Halt to ask for his opinion of Will's condition.

"How is he doing?" Crowley asked after sitting down with a cup of coffee.

Halt leaned back in his chair, "He's doing well. Determined to get better. He has been improving…"

"I sense a 'but' in there," Crowley said.

Halt looked at Crowley and said softly, "Gilan will figure out the same thing. Will has to rotate his arm a specific way in order to get his bow into shooting position. Therefore, he has to hold it sideways in order to shoot. It's the only way his arm will work."

"I see," Crowley muttered, thinking. "That might be a problem. One extra step that Will might not have time for in a fight."

Halt nodded, "My exact thoughts."

"Any way you can think of to fix it?" Crowley asked.

Halt shook his head, "His arm and shooting, no…Though I may have an idea." Crowley waited for him to continue. He knew Halt would tell it when he was ready. Halt bit his lower lip, thinking. It had merit, if Crowley could arrange the time. Shrugging mentally, he turned to his friend one more time. "I think Will could be trained in more hand-to-hand combat. Not a sword, walking with the bow wouldn't work with that. I'm thinking with his knives."

"A good idea. We have Gilan around and I'm sure he would be willing to work with Will on it. Also, the kingdom has several excellent masters with shorter blades like our saxe," Crowley nodded. He liked the idea. It would add to Will's work load but from what he knew and Halt told him Will would willingly accept the load. After all, he wanted to be a Ranger more than anything else.

"Yes, I think it could work for young Will," Crowley mused.

* * *

The following day:

"Congratulations, Will. You are an official Ranger's apprentice," Crowley said with a smile.

Will, tears in his eyes, took the bronze oakleaf from Crowley's outstretched hand. Then he reached inside his shirt. Slowly he pulled out the gold-bronze oakleaf. With a satisfied sigh, he pulled it off his neck and gave to his Commandant. Heart about to burst with joy and happiness, Will placed the bronze oakleaf around his neck.

Gilan wrapped him in an embrace, "Well done, Will."

Halt nodded to his apprentice. Will smiled at his mentor. What would ever have done if he had failed? Crowley saw the thought and shook his head. Will nodded to him, accepting the message. Such thoughts were unnecessary and no longer mattered.

Breaking away from Gilan, Will raced up the road to Redmont. He had to show his friends. Yes, he was finally a Ranger's apprentice...

And that's how he would stay.

* * *

 **One more chapter after this. It will set up the next section. The final chapter I'll tell you what the next section is called (though you all could probably figure it out).**

 **Any suggestions for names? I'll gladly accept any.**

 **I have to get back to studying. See ya!**


	8. Chapter 8

**NOTE: I don't own any characters from Ranger's Apprentice!**

 **The final chapter of the Gold-Bronze Oakleaf! I hope you all like it. It will be shorter than most due to my work load.**

 **The next installment will be longer than the others (has anyone noticed that I have been going longer and longer? No…oh well). The next installment will come out as soon as possible (probably by next week at some point). For any who care, I am thinking about calling the third installment- A New Choice: Victory or Defeat. Any suggestion of names will be listened to because I'm not sure how much I like that name. Keep your eyes out for it (I'll tell you it's the third installment in the summary).**

The Gold-Bronze Oakleaf Chapter 8

Will leaned over Tug's neck as the small horse galloped through the trees. In his left hand was his bow, his right holding the reigns. Ahead of them was Halt and Abelard at a full gallop. They were chasing several bandits bearing the seal of Morgarath. Tug was slowly overtaking Abelard, his speed kept at bay by Will's orders, who was obeying Halt's. The boy's eyes narrowed as they rounded a corner and caught sight of their fleeing quarry.

Halt's right hand came up and signaled towards the trees on their right. Coming up was a path into the trees. Will gently turned Tug towards it. He understood that some might flee up this way. If not, then it gave Will a chance to get ahead and block the men's path. Tug galloped up the path and into the trees. Will ducked the low branches, urging Tug to go faster. His horse complied without complaint. Will looked at his friend, wondering if Tug was enjoying the chase.

" _Of course I am!"_ Tug snorted.

Will laughed as he ducked another branch. Shouts sounded in front of them. Over Tug's hooves, Will could hear Halt's powerful longbow at work. Shaking his head, he marveled at Halt's hands-free riding style once again. Through the trees, Will could see the men below, trying to spur their tiring horses onward. He frowned at this. At that pace, the horses would more likely drop dead. Tug and Abelard had only been galloping for short time while the other horses had been at a fast pace since midday the day before.

"Come on, Tug. Let's put an end to this," Will growled to his friend and trusted steed.

Tug flicked his ears and increased his pace even more. The road was starting to curve back towards the men. Tug raced down it. The leader was spurring his horse into even more speed, knowing that Halt would want him more than the others. He never saw the charging smaller horse from above.

Tug leaped the remaining feet. The leader tried to pull away but Will was faster. His recurve bow smacked into the man's head, knocking him out. The man slumped in his saddle, his horse already slowing. Tug slid to a stop, reared, and turned. Will nocked an arrow, aimed, and fired before Tug's hooves ever touched the ground. One collapsed out of his saddle as the first arrow took him in the arm. The second arrow missed the man and brought down the horse, which was already on the verge of collapsing. The third arrow tore through a man's leg. The other five were brought down by Halt.

* * *

"How did I do?" Will asked as he and Halt walked away from the prison.

Halt looked as his excited apprentice and hid a smile inside. He replied gruffly, "Not bad for a first year apprentice."

Will smiled to himself, accepting Halt's silent order to not push the point. Tug whinnied happily as they came over. Halt frowned at the little horse. He seemed too happy. Ignoring Halt, Tug trotted up to Will and nuzzled his master's face. Will laughed as Tug's breath ran across his neck. Halt shook his head. _These two will never separate_ , he thought.

Abelard snorted, _"Of course not. If you took on the Kalkara at that age I would never leave you."_

Halt looked at his horse, "Oh really? Doing it at this age changes that"

Abelard threw up his head, _"Quite. You can defend yourself."_

Halt opened his mouth then stopped. Abelard looked at him then neighed. Fuming inside, Halt again realized that he was never going to have the last word. Mounting Abelard, Halt called for Will. Quickly his apprentice was in the saddle and riding after his mentor. Tug whinnied every now and then, punctuating whispering from Will. Obviously they were locked in a discussion. Halt looked behind at one point. He saw Will making some sort of gesture with his left hand closed in a fist. Then Halt realized that it was same movement that brought down the leader. Tug snorted and shook his head. Will frowned and whispered something back. Evidently they were discussing the attack that Will had used.

Back at the cabin they unsaddled their horses and rubbed them down. Will snuck Tug an apple before he left. Inside the cabin, Halt began preparing a pot of coffee. Will dashed outside and returned with some wood for the fire. Halt nodded and used it to get the fire going. Satisfied, Halt sat down. Will did a few chores that he had been unable to finish when they were called to chase down the men. Done, Will also sank into his chair. His left leg pulled a stool closer to him so he could put his leg up.

Coffee was ready shortly. While enjoying it, the Rangers were interrupted by a shocking announcement.

"Wargals have been seen heading north," the page from the castle panted. He was scared, both of the news and because he was facing the grim faced Halt.

Halt nodded, waving the page away. Will looked up from his seat. Morgarath's men and now Wargals have seen only four days apart from each other. Obviously something was up. Will already had a bad experience with one of Morgarath's allies, not an experience he wanted to live through again. Halt noticed this fear behind the curiosity in his apprentice's eyes. However, Halt had no intention of leaving at that moment. Slowly he lowered himself back into his chair.

"What are we going to do?" Will finally asked.

Halt looked at his excited, curious, and afraid apprentice and replied reassuringly, "We will wait for dawn then head after them. We won't get far today so it is better to wait until morning. Only a small party can sneak into the kingdom so we shouldn't have any issues. The question is why they are here?"

Will swallowed nervously. Despite his mentor's comfortingly tone, he could not help but think of his time facing the Kalkara. Though that monster was worse than a Wargal, it did nothing to comfort him. One monster was enough but now he was about to face more of them. Then Will's eyes hardened. Morgarath was not going win. He had failed in killing Halt, the one who ended his chances of winning in the last war. Now Halt was not alone. Will would not let Morgarath win…

No matter what it took, Morgarath would fall.


End file.
